Can Senator Koko Pimentel Work with Bongbong and Imee Marcos?

By: Elena Grace Flores
Senator Koko Pimentel said that he can work with Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos if they both win in May’s Senate elections. However, he maintains that the martial law years under her father’s regime were not good for the country. Pimentel’s father, former Senate President Nene Pimentel was a political prisoner during the Marcos regime. Despite this, he had worked with her brother, Bongbong Marcos when he was still a Senator. He is used to working with them.
z

Gotten Used to Former Senator Bongbong Marcos

“I’ve gotten used to it.” Senator Pimentel said, whose father was a political prisoner during the Marcos regime. He sees no problem sharing the campaign stage with Imee Marcos. Hugpong ng Pagbabago is their common affiliation. The President’s daughter, Davao City Mayor Du30-Carpio chairs the political party.

Imee Marcos and Martial Law are Two Different Things

For Pimentel, the Marcos martial law years were not good years or not beneficial years to the country. He believes that the suppression of democracy at that time was evident. We had no basic freedoms,” Pimentel added. This remains to be his stand. But he can campaign with Imee because she is a nominee of President Rodrigo Du30. Like Marcos, Pimentel is an ally of the President.

Who Doesn’t Lie?

The Ilocos Norte governor recently stirs controversy over her educational credentials after the University of the Philippines and the Princeton University announces through the mainstream media that she is not a graduate of her school. Although Marcos only said that she completed her studied in both schools. Mayor Du30-Carpio defends Marcos, saying that Leni Robredo should not talk about honesty. She is known as a Fake VP for nothing. This should not be an election issue because all candidates supposedly lie anyway, she declares.

Honesty is a Decision One Can Make

Although Pimentel believes that honesty is “important”, he cannot instill it to all people. It is the right thing to do but we are not in the position to judge. It should also be understood that if some people can trust a person who is not honest, then that it is his decision,” he added. Marcos actually did not lie. She knows that she consistently was in the dean’s list and even attended her graduation ceremony from UP Law. However, her diploma was withheld because of Princeton’s taking her out of the list of graduates following the criticisms of some anti-Marcos followers.

Senator Pimentel’s Unpopularity

Pimentel suffers from recent unpopularity because of his slow and ineffective handling of the Senate inquiry on election fraud in 2016. Supporters of the clean election advocate, Atty. Glenn Chong who is among the top senatorial candidates as per an online survey criticizes his impositions to the Comelec or lack of them. Even Mayor Sara was also not happy with him once. He can actually do better than what he said about Imee and Bongbong Marcos. That might give him a chance to at least get more votes.